This article describes the psychological assessment and management for trauma survivors. An appropriate assessment is essential to ensure that psychotherapy, behavioural treatment and support networks are sufficient for the trauma survivor’s long-term needs or until the individual is capable of functioning normally. In line with the mission of the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 56 (Trauma Psychology), this article suggests practical guidelines for psychologists, counselors and social health workers. Issues discussed include definition of trauma, post-incident symptoms and trauma recovery. Among the types of trauma examined were cancer, sudden death, sexual abuse and AIDS. A working model to initiate assessment was presented together with projected treatment modalities. Additionally, this article also incorporates knowledge on professional and public education about dissociation, trauma and trauma related disorders besides strengthening knowledge about trauma, dissociation and disorders related to chronic trauma. This article also supports communication and cooperation among clinicians and other professionals in the field of dissociation and trauma as well as stimulating national and international research projects. Different individuals react differently to a similar event. A person may experience trauma as a reaction to the event while another person may not. Not all individuals who experience a potentially traumatic event will be psychologically traumatised.
Keywords: Psychological assessment; trauma recovery; trauma survivors
Hypoglycaemic and antihyperglycemic activity of oil palm Elaeis guineensis fruit extract on normal and Streptozotocininduced
diabetic rats was studied. The oil palm fruit extract (OPF) were administered orally at different concentrations (100,
200 and 500 mg kg-1 b.w.) in fasting and post-prandial rats. Hypoglycaemia was not observed in the group of normal rats
treated with OPF. In fasting rats, OPF (500 mg kg-1 b.w.) has caused the blood glucose level (BGL) to reduce significantly.
For post-prandial diabetic rats, the antihyperglycemic activity was observed after OPF treatment at concentrations 200
and 500 mg kg-1. Chronic OPF treatments (for 28 days) had increased the diabetic rat’s body weight and reduced BGL as
well as improved plasma insulin secretion. The result of this study suggests E. guineensis palm fruit extract show evidence
of antihyperglycemic properties from the reduction of the BGL in diabetic rats.
The paediatric rehabilitation service in Malaysia is shifting from the traditional child-focused approach to a family-centred
approach. At present, there is a lack of an evaluation tool to assess to the quality of paediatric rehabilitation services, and
whether the services are in line with the principles of the family-centred service. This study was undertaken to assess validity
and reliability of the Malay version of the Measure of Processes of Care 20-item (MPOC-20) questionnaire in evaluating
family-centered approach in children rehabilitation services in Kuala Lumpur. The original English version of the MPOC-
20 was translated into Malay language, before it was administered to 102 parents of children receiving rehabilitation
service at the Occupational Therapy Unit, UKM Medical Centre. The component structure of the MPOC-20 Malay version
was examined using principal component analysis with Varimax rotation to explore the factor structures after translation.
Cronbach’s alpha was calculated to determine the internal consistency reliability of the factors identified in the MPOC-20
Malay version. The resultant four-factor model explained 64 % of the variance in the Malay MPOC-20 responses. All four
factors were similar to the five factors described in the original MPOC-20. All the 20 items were retained, with relocation of
some items into a new factor. The Malay version of the MPOC-20 showed good internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha
values ranging from 0.75 to 0.90. This study demonstrates that the Malay version of the MPOC-20 is valid and reliable,
and is suitable for evaluation of the quality of child rehabilitation services in the Malaysian context.
Literature data on association between physical activity (PA) and health related quality of life (HRQoL) in non-clinical
adults population are still limited. Thereby, the objective of this study was to evaluate the association between PA and
HRQoL among the non-academic staff serving the Faculty of Health Sciences (FSK), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM),
Kuala Lumpur (KL). In this cross sectional study, 105 non-academic staffs aged between 18 to 60 years were recruited.
Self-administered questionnaires (Malay version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and World Health
Organisation Quality of Life-Brief Version) were administered among the participants. Mann Whitney test and Spearman’s
rho correlation were employed for the statistical analysis using SPSS version 22.0 Majority of participants (72.4%)
demonstrated high PA scores of ≥ 3000 MET-minutes/week. PA scores between genders was not statistically significant
(p = 0.137). However, total PA score of support staffs (median = 9039.0, IQR = 15811.00) was significantly higher compared
to staffs in management and professional group (median = 4329.0, IQR = 4189.00). The mean(SD) self-perceived HRQoL
score was 3.4 (0.76). There were no significant correlation between PA and all domains of HRQoL such as physical health,
psychological, social relationship and environmental domains (Correlation coefficient, ρ = -0.108, 0.003, -0.023, 0.026
respectively) with p = 0.273, 0.978, 0.818, 0.794 respectively. Majority of non-academic staffs of FSK, UKM engaged in
high physical activity. The PA levels of support staffs were significantly higher than management and professional staffs.
However, there was no statistically significant correlation observed between PA and domains of HRQoL.
Obesity is a growing epidemic due to an accelerated phase of industrialization and urbanization with the overfed people
now outnumbered the underfed. It is the major public health problem with a lot of research interest as it is associated
with many complicated chronic disorders such as type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and cancers. A global
estimation of 2.8 million deaths per year is due to obesity and there are tremendous on-going efforts to identify hosts
and environmental factors that infl uence the cause and pathogenesis of obesity. Concerted efforts from different research
groups had successfully shown that obese subjects have altered composition of gut microbiota and transplantation of this
microbiota infl uences body weight in the germ-free recipient mice. The advancement of technology had made possible
the study of gut microbiota which was unculturable for better understanding of their impact to human health. Rapid
deep sequencing of DNA at reasonable cost through various options of platforms followed by data analysis using robust
bioinformatic tools are an important way of analysing the gut microbiome. Here we review the role of gut microbiota
which modulates host’s metabolic functions and gene expression, facilitating the extraction and storage of energy from the
ingested dietary substances and leading to body-weight gain. We will discuss on the different techniques used, focusing
on the high-defi nition technologies for the determination of the composition, function and ecology of gut microbiota. This
allows the appropriate selection of platform which becomes the key for success of subsequent research.
The aim of this review was to systematically explore the underlying musculoskeletal biomechanical mechanisms of carrying and to describe its potential relationship with low back pain. This literature review was carried out using AMED, CINAHL, Compendex and MEDLINE electronic databases. Articles published from 2004 to 2012 were selected for consideration. Articles were considered if at least one measurement of kinetics, kinematics or other related musculoskeletal parameters related to biomechanics were included within the study. After combining the main keywords, 677 papers were identified. However, only 10 studies met all the inclusion criteria. Age, body mass index, gender and level of physical activity were identified as the factors that may influence the biomechanics of carrying activity. Carrying a loaded backpack was reported leading to posterior pelvic tilt, reduced lumbar lordosis, but increased cervical lordosis, thoracic kyphosis and trunk forward lean. Furthermore, while carrying bilaterally, lumbo-pelvic coordination was also reported to be more in-phase, as well as reduced coordination variability in transverse plane. Future studies investigating the biomechanics of a standardized carrying activity for clinical test are recommended.
This study reports the vision status of a presbyopic patient who has undergone a corneal inlay procedure. The study
hopes to provide optometrists more insight on the procedure and the co-management involved in such a patient. The
patient, a 48 years-old Chinese woman with presbyopia underwent the corneal inlay procedure three years ago.
She had the inlay implanted in the non-dominant eye to aid near vision i.e. her left eye. The pre and post-operative
evaluations include distance and near visual acuity, fundoscopy, tonometry, Schirmer’s test, slit lamp evaluation, corneal
topography and corneal pachymetry. Near visual acuity for the left eye improved from N14 to N5 immediately after
the procedure. Even after 3 years of post-operative followup, the patient was still able to maintain her near vision. In
conclusion, the corneal inlay procedure helped to improve near vision of this presbyopic patient. Optometrist plays
a very important role in the co-management of such patients alongside with the ophthalmologist in terms of visual
functional assessments pre and post-surgery, counseling of the procedure and managing patients’ expectations.
Childhood obesity is a global epidemic, which leads to the increasing number of studies on genetic locations associated with obesity-related traits. Polymorphisms of insulin (INS) gene have been shown to be associated with obesity-related phenotypes in Europeans; while insulin receptor (INSR) gene has been associated with energy regulation. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the association between the INS (rs689) and INSR (rs3745551) gene polymorphisms with childhood obesity risk in a Malay childhood population. Normal weight (538) and overweight or obese (557) children aged 6-12 years old were genotyped using semi-automated Sequenom iPLEX® Gold. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from measured body weight and height. The rs689 (T/T: 0.006, A/T: 0.159 and A/A: 0.835) and rs3745551 (G/G: 0.054, A/G: 0.378 and A/A: 0.568) genotype distributions were consistent with Hardy Weinberg equilibrium. The T-minor allele frequency for rs689 was 8.6% and G-minor allele frequency for rs3745551 was 24.3%. Minor allele of INS gene polymorphisms significantly increased risk of obesity among Malay children (sex- and age-adjusted
OR=1.580; 95%CI: 1.134-2.201). However, INSR gene polymorphisms were not significantly associated with childhood obesity. In conclusion, the polymorphisms of INS gene, rather than INSR gene, were associated with childhood obesity in the Malay population.
Bawang merah merupakan tumbuhan yang mengandungi pelbagai khasiat dan telah dijadikan sebagai makanan dan
ubatan sejak dahulu lagi oleh pelbagai kaum dan bangsa. Kajian ini dilakukan bagi mengenal pasti khasiat bawang
merah terhadap tubuh manusia dari perspektif sarjana-sarjana perubatan Islam dan kajian-kajian saintifi k. Data-data
literatur telah dikumpulkan dari empat buah buku perubatan Islam dan 14 artikel daripada pelbagai jurnal berkaitan.
Data terkumpul dianalisis menggunakan Nvivo10.0 bagi membentuk kategori bersesuaian seterusnya menghasilkan
dapatan kajian. Hasil kajian menunjukkan terdapat sekurang-kurangnya 17 khasiat bawang merah yang merangkumi
enam khasiat dari perspektif sarjana perubatan Islam seperti merawat penyakit mata sentiasa berair, merawat masalah
dalam telinga, merawat jangkitan dari gigitan anjing, meneutralkan racun, merangsang syahwat dan merawat penyakit
akibat air tercemar. Manakala 11 manfaat lagi dikenal pasti daripada kajian-kajian saintifi k seperti ia merupakan agen
antiplatelet, agen anti-pembentukan lemak, agen antioksidan, agen antitrombotik, agen antikarsinogen, agen antidepresen/
antimurung, agen antiinfl amasi, agen antiasma, agen antibiotik, menurunkan tahap hiperglisemia dan mengurangkan
risiko penyakit aterosklerosis. Justeru kajian ini mencadangkan agar bawang merah diketengahkan sebagai salah satu
rawatan organik serta alternatif kepada rawatan konvensional sedia ada.
Many studies have shown that probiotic strains added to a number of probiotic products are not compatible to that of
claimed. It is thus of note to validate probiotic strains added to probiotic products. In this study, three probiotic drinks,
A, B and C, were cultured on MRS agar and the number of bacterial colonies was enumerated. The bacterial counts
recovered from A (9.3 ± 6.9 log CFU/ml) and C (9.0 ± 6.9 log CFU/ml) were signifi cantly higher than B (5.2 ± 3.5 log
CFU/ml) and achieved the minimal amount recommended for probiotic bacteria. All of the isolates appeared as gram
positive rods microscopically and were proven to be catalase negative. However, there were only A1, A2, B4 and C1 that
were highly tolerant to the gastrointestinal pH 3 to 6. The four isolates produced and secreted antimicrobial substances
which inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). C1 showed the greatest
growth inhibition by forming 17.50-mm and 17.85-mm inhibition zones against E. coli and S. aureus, respectively. The
16s rDNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis were performed to further identify the twelve isolates. The twelve isolates
were found to be Lactobacillus (L.), particularly L. casei and L. paracasei. However, the bacteria isolated from drink B
were incompatible to the labelled ones. In conclusion, probiotic drinks are possible to contain different bacterial counts
and probiotic strains from the labelled ones. These differences might affect health benefi ts rendered by probiotic strains
to consumers.
Ocular abnormalities have apparent effects on brain activation. However, neuroimaging data about the ocular characteristics of healthy participants are still lacking to be compared with data for patients with ocular pathology. The objective of this multiple participants’ functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies was to investigate the brain activation characteristics of healthy participants when they view stimuli of various shapes, pattern and size. During the fMRI scans, the participants view the growing ring, rotating wedge, flipping hour glass/bow tie, quadrant arc and full checker board stimuli. All stimuli have elements of black-and-white checkerboard pattern. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) was used in generating brain activation via fixed-effects (FFX) and conjunction analyses. The stimuli of various shapes, pattern and size produce different brain activation with more activation concentrated in the left hemisphere. These results are supported by the conjunction analysis which indicated that the left pre-central, post-central, superior temporal and occipital gyrus as well as the left cingulate cortices were involved when the participants viewed each given stimulus. Differential activation analysis showed activation with high specificity in the occipital region due to the stimuli of various shapes, pattern and size. The activation in the right middle temporal gyrus was found to be significantly higher in response to moving stimuli as compared to stationary stimuli. This confi rms the involvement of the right middle temporal gyrus in the observation of movements. The black-and-white checkerboard stimuli of various shapes, pattern and size, stationary and moving was found to 1) activate visual as well as other cortices in temporal and parietal lobes, 2) cause asymmetry in brain function and 3) exhibit functional integration characteristics in several brain areas.
Keywords: fMRI; SPM; visual stimulus; occipital gyrus; middle temporal gyrus
Alpinia conchigera (lengkuas kecil) merupakan sejenis tumbuhan herba yang sering digunakan sebagai rawatan alternatif
dalam bidang perubatan tradisional. Kajian ini dijalankan untuk menilai kesan sitotoksik, genotoksik serta mod kematian
sel yang disebabkan oleh ekstrak heksana A. conchigera ke atas sel hepar Chang. Asai MTT selama 24 jam telah dijalankan
untuk mengenal pasti peratus viabiliti sel hepar Chang setelah dirawat dengan ekstrak heksana A. conchigera. Keputusan
menunjukkan terdapat penurunan viabiliti sel secara signifi kan (p < 0.05) dengan nilai IC50 (8.6 μg/ml) berbanding kawalan
negatif. Berdasarkan nilai IC50 ini, pewarnaan AO/PI dilakukan untuk menentukan mod kematian sel hepar Chang iaitu sama
ada secara apoptosis atau nekrosis. Didapati bahawa terdapat perbezaan secara signifi kan (p < 0.05) bagi mod kematian
sel hepar Chang secara apoptosis berbanding kawalan negatif. Dalam kajian ini, penentuan tahap kerosakan DNA sel
hepar Chang turut dilakukan dengan menggunakan asai komet beralkali dengan nilai IC10 dan IC25 yang diperoleh daripada
asai MTT (4 μg/ml dan 6 μg/ml) masing-masing. Setelah sel hepar Chang dirawat dengan ekstrak heksana A. conchigera
selama 2 jam, didapati terdapat perbezaan secara signifi kan (p < 0.05) bagi peratus kerosakan DNA bagi kumpulan rawatan
berbanding kawalan negatif. Kesimpulannya, ekstrak heksana A. conchigera memberi kesan sitotoksik dan genotoksik
terhadap sel hepar Chang serta menyebabkan kematian sel secara apoptosis.
The fi rst part of this study was about measurement of dosimetric parameters for small photon beams to be used as input
data for treatment planning computer system (TPS) and to verify the dose calculated by TPS in Stereotactic Radiosurgery
(SRS) procedure. The beam data required were percentage depth dose (PDD), off-axis ratio (OAR) and scattering factor.
Small beams of 5 mm to 45 mm diameter from a circular cone collimator in SRS were used for beam data measurements.
Measurements were made using pinpoint ionisation chamber (0.016cc). In the second part of this study, we reported
the important of carrying out quality assurance (QA) procedures before SRS treatment which were found to infl uence the
accuracy of dose delivery. These QA procedures consisted of measurements on the accuracy in target localization and
treatment room laser alignment. The calculated TPS dose for treatment was verifi ed using pinpoint ionisation chamber
and thermoluminescent detector (TLD) 100H. The deviation mean between measured and calculated dose was -3.28%.
The measured dose obtained from pinpoint ionisation chamber is in good agreement with the calculated dose from TPS
with deviation mean of 2.17%. In conclusion, pinpoint ionisation chamber gives a better accuracy in dose calculation
compared to TLD 100H. The results are acceptable as recommended by International Commission on Radiation Units
and Measurements (ICRU) Report No. 50 (1994) that dose delivered to the target volume must be within ± 5% error.
Ujian teks bacaan Bahasa Melayu telah dibangunkan untuk menilai prestasi membaca kanak-kanak sekolah rendah.
Seramai 120 pelajar Tahap 1 (purata umur 8.5 ± 0.5 tahun) dan Tahap 2 (purata umur 10.5 ± 0.5 tahun) berpenglihatan
normal telah dipilih secara rawak. Subjek diminta membaca lima teks bacaan secara rawak dengan kuat. Masa selesai
membaca setiap teks bacaan diukur dan sebarang kesalahan menyebut perkataan direkodkan. Purata kelajuan membaca
dan kadar membaca diukur sebagai perkataan per minit (ppm). Kelajuan membaca Tahap 1 adalah 88.81 ± 1.95 {ralat
piawai (RP)} ppm dan kadar membaca pula adalah 87.20 ± 1.98 (RP) ppm. Bagi Tahap 2, kelajuan membaca adalah
108.12 ± 1.66 (RP) ppm manakala kadar membaca adalah 107.22 ± 1.67 (RP) ppm. Kelajuan dan kadar membaca di
antara subjek bagi setiap teks bacaan menunjukkan tiada perbezaan yang signifi kan (p > 0.05) dengan nilai p bagi
kedua-duanya adalah 0.91 manakala bagi tahap 2 pula nilai p adalah 0.57. Perbandingan di antara teks bacaan juga
menunjukkan tiada perbezaan yang signifi kan (p > 0.05). Semua teks bacaan adalah homogen secara statistik maka teks
bacaan yang dibangunkan boleh dipilih secara rawak semasa ujian dan tidak akan memberi kesan kepada penilaian
prestasi membaca di kalangan kanak-kanak sekolah rendah.
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disease which is characterized by hyperglycemia. There is either disturbance in insulin secretion or defective insulin action or even a combination of both. Usually, there are few confounding factors like genetic, obesity, sedentary life style, atherosclerosis, and even faulty dietary habits which lead or aggravate DM. Usually, the individual does not care and often the complications resulting from hyperglycaemia are fatal. Complications in DM involve the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, endocrine, renal and neurological systems in the body. Treatment of diabetic complications is not only costly but it is also a burden on the affected families. The present review discusses the challenges faced in DM with special concern on diet and food habits. Knowledge of proper food consumption may also help an individual combat complication in DM and reduce the mortality and morbidity.
Keywords: Diabetes mellitus; complications; food; habits; mortality; morbidity
While cancer is considered to be one of the leading causes of death worldwide, there is a growing scientific and public interests on selenium as a dietary and antioxidant of many diseases, in particular, cancer. Despite advanced technology and significant improvement of surgical, chemical, hormonal and radio therapies, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still common in Asia and Africa and is increasing in the developed countries. Prognosis of HCC at an early stage is still challenging. At the moment, combination of Alpha feto protein (AFP) and ultrasonography tests offers more accurate and sensitive results for the diagnosis of HCC. Selenium (also known as the moon element) has been recognized for almost 49 years as an antioxidant and anti cancer agent. The weight of evidence supports the position of selenium as an anti cancer agent for HCC but the molecular mechanism of how selenium inhibits HCC is still unknown. Numerous theories have been proposed and selenium induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest is the predominant one so far.
A four-month cross-sectional study found five species of parasitoids parasitizing puparia of filth flies breeding at the Taman Beringin landfill in Kepong and a poultry farm in Sungai Pelek, Sepang, Selangor. Effect of monthly rainfalls towards density of flies and percentage of parasitoids emerging from collected puparia were also analyzed. Spalangia sp. was the most common, consisting of Spalangia endius Walker, S. cameroni Perkins and S. gemina Boucek. Other parasitoids collected were Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae Rondani and Exoristobia phillipinensis Ashmead. The parasitized fly hosts were Musca domestica Linn. and Chrysomya megacephala Fabricius. S. endius was the most common parasitoid attacking M. domestica at both locations. M. domestica was the most common fly found at the Sg. Pelek poultry farm whereas C. megacephala was the most numerous at the Taman Beringin landfill. During heavy rainfall month of November 2003, density of flies were high whereas the emerging parasitoids were low at both landfill and poultry farm. The present study revealed the endemic presence of parasitoids especially S. endius in both poultry farm and garbage landfill and the potential of the parasitoid species in fly control in Malaysia.
A total of 306 Malaysian university students and staff were surveyed to ascertain the physical and emotional effects of the polluted haze on them. All subjects completed self-reported questionnaires. Analysis of the results indicated that the majority of subjects reduced their outdoor activities and sports, and also reported an increase in emotional and physical health problems. The results indicated that there was a general increase in emotional problems such as feeling depressed, lacking in energy, not feeling like doing anything, feeling anxious and afraid, difficulty sleeping, feeling agitated and irritable, and having no appetite. There was also an increase in physical symptoms such as itchy or red eyes, itchy or running nose, dry throat/cough, headaches, nausea, and fever. This study indicated that emotional and behavioural problems are just as common during the haze, when compared with physical health problems. The study also suggests that there are a broad range of problems which health care and human resource departments need to be aware of and take precautions to minimize during a haze.
A preliminary study was conducted to determine the level of oxidative DNA damage, fruits and vegetables intake among 50 breast cancer patients (cases) as compared to 50 healthy women (controls) with no known medical history of breast cancer in Klang Valley. Both groups were matched for age and ethnicity. Data on socio-demographic, health status and medical history, fruits and vegetables intake, and supplements intake were obtained through an interviewbased questionnaire. Anthropometry measurements included weight, height, and waist and hip circumference were also carried out on subjects. A total of 3mL fasting venous blood was drawn to assess lymphocytes oxidative DNA damage using Alkaline Comet Assay. Results indicated that the mean intake of fruits and vegetables was lower in cases (4.09 ± 1.17 servings/d) than controls (4.77 ± 0.90 servings/d)(p < 0.05) The intake of fruits and vegetables from family groups of solanaceae, myrtaceae, caricaceae, apiaceae, brinjal, rutaceae, broccoli, orange, carrot, watermelon were 0.5 - 1 servings/week significantly higher among controls as compared to cases (p < 0.05 for all parameters). However, the intake of fruits from rosaceae family and apple was higher among controls than cases (p < 0.05). The estimated intake of ß-carotene, carotenoids, vitamin A, vitamin C (p < 0.001), a-carotene and lycopene (p < 0.05) from fruits and vegetables were higher among controls than cases. Mean DNA damage level of cases (4.55 ± 1.78 % DNA in tail, %TD; 0.35 ± 0.21 tail moment, TM) were 3.5 and 3.9 times higher than the value of controls (1.3 ± 0.70% TD; 0.09 ± 0.09 TM) (p < 0.001) and the damage increased with higher values of waist hip ratio (% TD, r = 0.396, p < 0.05; TM, r = 0.349, p < 0.05) and waist circumference (% TD, r = 0.334, p < 0.05; TM, r = 0.360, p < 0.05). There was an inverse relationship between oxidative DNA damage with intake of total fruits and vegetables, cauliflowers and water convolvulus and also consumption from rutaceae and solanaceae families. Similar trend was noted for estimated intake of vitamin A, carotenoids, vitamin C, ß-carotene and lycopene. In conclusion, the intake of fruits and vegetables of five servings/d and the consumption of specific families and types of fruits and vegetables might protect against oxidative DNA damage and further reduce breast cancer risk.
This study was aimed at identifying the effectiveness of hospital-based pulmonary rehabilitation programme as compared to home-based pulmonary programme in improving the condition of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital. A total of 35 patients aging between 17 to 78 years old were randomised either to hospital (48.6%, n = 20) or home (43%, n = 15) -based pulmonary rehabilitation by the Physiotherapists. For the hospital-based rehabilitation programme, the patients were scheduled to come to the hospital twice a week for eight weeks. For home-based rehabilitation programme, subjects were scheduled to come to the Physiotherapy Department twice to learn on the exercises that need to be carried out before they are allowed to do on their own at home. Each subject was given a diary to record the exercises that have been done. A telephone call is made once a week for monitoring purpose. Assessment of lung function, six-minute-walk test and Borg score were carried out before and after the eight-week rehabilitation is conducted. The Results showed that there was no significant change in lung function for both groups before and after rehabilitation. There is a significant different (p < 0.05) in 6MWT before and after rehabilitation for hospital-based pulmonary rehabilitation patients. However, the difference is not significant (p > 0.05) for home-base pulmonary rehabilitation patients. The results also show that there exist no significant correlation between lung function and 6MWT even though there is an increase in walking distance at baseline or the eighth week. In conclusion, hospitalbased pulmonary rehabilitation is more effective than the home-based pulmonary rehabilitation in improving the exercise endurance which would helps in reduce dyspnoea among COPD patients.
Keywords: Home-based pulmonary programme; Hospital-based pulmonary programme; COPD; Lung function